The hotel will open in a 1914 Edwardian Belle Époque building on High Holborn road, just northeast of main tourist draws such as Covent Garden, Soho, and Leicester Square. A dramatic entrance will be easy to make, coming through the wrought iron-gated carriageway into an arrival courtyard, and immediately inside is a seven-story marble staircase sweeping through the historic building.

Guestrooms will total 262, with 44 suites. Initial renderings show a restrained palette of whites and greys in the bedrooms, a wood-paneled library / lounge, and various public spaces filled with books and artwork. The Manor House Suite, with private elevator and its own street entrance, can go up to six bedrooms and 6,300 square feet, surely a contender for one of London’s biggest suites. Restaurant and bar will be by Martin Brudnizki of Scott’s and Le Caprice, two popular London restaurants. In addition, there’ll be event spaces, private dining, and a Sense spa with fitness facilities.

We’ll head over to Holborn to have a look for ourselves at the first European Rosewood as soon as we can to report back with more details. Other upcoming hotels include Rosewood Abu Dhabi in August, Beijing sometime in the Fall, Phuket and Dubai next year, and the Bahamas in 2015.